Condenser having apparatus for monitoring conditions of inner surface of condenser tubes

Abstract

A condenser including a plurality of condenser tubes through which a coolant is caused to flow, a device for injecting ferrous ions into the coolant before it passes through the condenser tubes to form a protective film on an inner surface of the condenser tubes, and a device for introducing sponge balls into the condenser tubes for cleaning their inner surfaces. The condenser has a by-pass line extending outside the body of the condenser, in parallel connection with the condenser tubes. The by-pass line has a monitor tube of the same material and size as the condenser tubes, so that the coolant flows through the monitor tube under the same conditions as the coolant flowing through the condenser tubes. The monitor tube is equipped with a device for measuring a polarization resistance of the monitor tube, and a device for sensing a fouling condition of the inner surface of the monitor tube. The injection of ferrous ions into the condenser tubes and the cleaning of their inner surfaces with the sponge balls are adjusted in response to the measured or sensed polarization resistance and fouling condition of the monitor tube.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A condenser including a body which accommodates a plurality of condenser tubes made of a copper alloy, through which a coolant is caused to flow, the condenser further including a ferrous-ion injecting device for injecting ferrous ions into the coolant before it passes through the condenser tubes in order to form a protective film on an inner surface of each of the condenser tubes, and a first sponge-ball supply device for introducing sponge balls into the condenser tubes for cleaning the inner surfaces of the condenser tubes, comprising: a by-pass line disposed so as to extend outside said body, in parallel connection with said plurality of condenser tubes in said body, said by-pass line having a monitor tube made of substantially the same material as said condenser tubes and having substantially the same size as said condenser tubes, so that coolant, ferrous ions and sponge balls are caused to flow through said monitor tube under substantially the same operating conditions as in said condenser tubes, said by-pass line having a pair of by-pass water chambers disposed at opposite ends of said monitor tube;   polarization-resistance measuring means disposed in an intermediate portion of said monitor tube, for measuring a polarization resistance of said monitor tube; and   fouling measuring means disposed in said intermediate portion of said monitor tube, for measuring a condition of fouling of the inner surface of said monitor tube, said fouling measuring means consisting of a pair of fouling measuring devices one of which is disposed between said polarization-resistance measuring means and one of said by-pass water chambers, and the other of which is disposed between said polarization-resistance measuring means and the other by-pass water chamber;   said body having a vapor chamber through which said plurality of condenser tubes extend, and first and second water chambers disposed on opposite sides of said water chamber such that said condenser tubes communicate with said water chambers, and such that said coolant flows into said condenser tubes through said first water chamber, said by-pass line being connected at opposite ends thereof with said pair of water chambers;   whereby said ferrous-ion injecting device and said first sponge-ball supply device for said condenser tubes in said body of the condenser may be adjusted in response to the polarization resistance measured by said polarization-resistance measuring means and the condition of fouling measured by said fouling measuring means.   
     
     
       2. A condenser according to claim 1, further comprising an inlet conduit connected to said first water chamber for introducing said coolant into said first water chamber, said ferrous-ion injecting device and said first sponge-ball supply device being associated with said inlet conduit. 
     
     
       3. A condenser according to claim 1, further comprising a second sponge-ball supply device connected to a portion of said by-pass line upstream of said monitor tube. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus for monitoring conditions of inner surfaces of a multiplicity of copper-alloy cooling tubes disposed in a vapor chamber formed in a condenser wherein a coolant flows through the cooling tubes from a first of two water chambers positioned on opposite sides of said vapor chamber, to the second water chamber, said condenser having a ferrous-ion injecting device for injecting ferrous ions into the coolant before it passes through the cooling tubes in order to form a protective film on an inner surface of each of the cooling tubes, and a first sponge-ball supply device for introducing sponge balls into the cooling tubes for cleaning the inner surfaces of the cooling tubes, said apparatus comprising: a by-pass line disposed so as to extend outside said vapor chamber, and communicating with said first and second water chamber, said by-pass line having a monitor tube made of substantially the same material as said cooling tubes and having substantially the same size as said cooling tubes, so that coolant, ferrous ions and sponge balls flow through said monitor tube under substantially the same conditions as in said cooling tubes, said by-pass line also having first and second by-pass chambers at opposite ends of said monitor tube;   polarization-resistance measuring means disposed in an intermediate portion of said monitor tube, for measuring a polarization resistance of said monitor tube; and   fouling measuring means consisting of a pair of fouling measuring devices, one of which is disposed between said polarization-resistance measuring means and said first by-pass water chamber, and the other of which is disposed between said polarization-resistance measuring means and said second by-pass water chamber, said fouling measuring means measuring a condition of fouling of the inner surface of said monitor tube,   whereby said ferrous-ion injecting device and said sponge-ball supply device may be adjusted in response to the polarization resistance measured by said polarization-resistance measuring means and the condition of fouling meausured by said fouling measuring means.   
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a second sponge-ball supply device connected to a portion of said by-pass line upstream of said pair of by-pass water chambers, for introducing sponge balls into said monitor tube, said second sponge-ball supply device being operated simultaneously with said first sponge-ball supply device.